Well-drill coupling



Jan. 15, 1924- W. STOFFEL WELL DR ILL COUPLING Fild Feb. 28. 1923 WIW/Ss Patented Jan. l5, 1924.

UNITED STATES WALTER STOFFEL, 0F GREENLEAF. KANSAS WELL-DRILL COUILING.

Application led February 28, 1923. Serial No. 621,888.

To all wlwm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, WALTER S'rorrnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenleaf, in the county of Washington and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Well-Drill Coupling, of which the following is a specificatlon.

The' present invention relates renerally to cou lings and more particular y to well dril couplin s and has for its principal oloject to provide means whereby the drill bit may be attached to the drill stem by the usual threaded structure and prevented from accidental rotation when once assembled.

Another important object of the invention is to generally improve upon couplin s of this nature by providing a simplean ellicient structure which `is reliable, durable, comparatively inexpensive ,to manufacture, and otherwise well adapted to the purpose for which it is `designe A particular object of the invention is to provide a' novel lpawl and ratchet mechanism including means for holding the pawl in an inoperative position.

l With the above and numerous other objects in view as will appear as the description progresses, the invention resides in certain novel features of construction, and the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the accompanying drawing that form thereof which is at pres ent preferred by me since the same will give in practice satisfactory and reliable re suits, although it is to be understood that the various mstrurnentalities of which my invention consists can be variously arranged and organised and that my invention is not limited to the precise arrangement and oranization of these instrumentalities as erein shown 'and described.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a drill stem connected to a drill bit both embodying my invention, Y

Fi re 2 is a transverse section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Figure l,

Figure 8 is a similar view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 1, also showin the pawl releasing means associated t erewith,

invention includes a drill stem l and a drill bil; 2 which may be ol conventional construction except as hereinaftei" claimed. The drill stem is constructed with the threaded recess 3 extending longitudinally thereof and communicating with the internal ratchet arrangement a at the end of the drill stem. The drill bit 2 is provided with a threaded reduced extension 6 adapted to be received within the threaded recess 3. A plurality of pawls 7 are carried by the drill bit for engagement with the ratchet arrangement 4.

As is disclosed to advantage in Figure 5 each pawl 7 consists of a bod 8, a stem 9 extending from one end of the body and a pintle l() extending l'rom the other end of the body and shorter in length than the stem 9.

In the present embodiment of the invention I use two pawls 7 and therefore provide the end of the drill bit adjacent the reduced threaded extension G with a pair of oppositely disposed deep recesses 12 und a pair of oppositely disposed shallow recesses 13. One recess 12 is situated adjacent one recess 13, the distance therebetween being the same as the distance Abetween the stem 9 and pintle 10 of one of the pawls 7. A compressible coil spring 14 is disposed in each deep recess 12 as is also the stem9 ofthe pawl 7 and the pintle 10 is situated in the shallow recess 13 adjacent thereto. This pawl is adapted to pivot on its pintle and to engage the ratchet arrangement 4, the spring 14 normali 1 holding it in engagement therewith. s is illustrated to advantage in Figures l and 3 orilices 16 lead into the deep recesses l2 transversely of the drill bit and these orifices are threaded so that they may be closed by threaded plugs of any suitable construction which are not illustrated in the drawing. The purpose of such lugs is merely to prevent Water and mud from entering the orifices and contacting with the workmg parts of the coupling when the same is in operation.

It will be readily understood that as the invention has thus far been described the drill stem and drill bit may be readily assembled by screwing the threaded extension 6 into the threaded recess 3 and the pawl and ratchet arrangement described will prevent the unscrewin thereof. When it is desired to disassemb e the drill bit from the drill stem it is necessary to use a tool such as I have indicated generally at A. rThis tool A consists of an arcuate shaped body portion 20 one end of which terminates in an apertured lip 21 and the other end in a finger 22 which is aligned with the aperture of the lip 2l. A threaded bore 9.3 is mounted in the aperture of the lip 21 and is constructed with a finger 24 at its end adapted to align with the finger 22. These lingers 22 and 24 may be readily disposed in the orifices 16 thereby engaging the stem 9 and compressing the spring 14 so as to pivot the pawls upon their pintles 10 and disengage them from the ratchet arrangement 4. When the tool has thus been en- `:raged with the pawls it is evident that the drill stem and drill bit may be disassembled.

Having thus described my invention what l claim as new is 1. In combination, a pair of members as sociated in rotatable relation with each other, one of said members provided with a ratchet structure, a pawlassociated with the other member for engagement with the ratchet structure, said latter mentioned member provided with a pair of recesses, said pawl provided with a stem disposed in one recess and a pintle disposed in the other recess, a spring disposed in the recess con' taining the stem-and normally urging the pawl in engagement with the ratchet structure, and means for engaging the stem for moving it and actuatingr the pawl from engagement with the ratchet structure so that the members may be rotated. 4

2. In combination, a pair of rotatably associated connectable members, a paw-l and ratchet mechanism associated with the members, one of said members containing?r the ratchet and the other containing the pawl. said pawl containing member constructed with a pair of recesses, said pawl provided with a pair of extensions disposed in said recesses so that one extension acts as a pintle and the other as a stop limiting the movement of the pawl, a spring engaged with the stop extension for normallvurging the paw] in an operative position, said last mentioned member provided with an orifice leading into the recess containing the stop extension.

3. A pair ot' rotatably.' engageable members, a ratchet structure included in one of said members, a pawl structure included in the other member, said pawl including structure having means for pivotally mounting the pawl anda recfs's, said pawl provided With a stem. extending in said recess, a spring in said recess engaging said stem and normally urging the pawl in engage ment with the ratchet structure, said' last mentioned member having an orifice leading into its recess whereby a tool may be inserted therein for engagement with the stem and actuatin the pawl from engagement with the rate et structure.

4. A pawl releasing tool including an arcuate body terminating at one end in an .apcrtnred lip and at its o1 her end in a nger disposed" in alignment with the apertured lip, a threaded bar associated with the apertured lip and provided with a finger aligned with the first mentioned finger.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

WALTER sToFFEL.

Witnesses S. H. Panam, WALTER CARRIER. 

